


Countdown

by themostcleverandwittyname



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, not canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-02-08 15:38:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12867690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themostcleverandwittyname/pseuds/themostcleverandwittyname
Summary: Everyone has a countdown that subtracts the seconds until the most influential moment in that person's life. These moments can be a dream come true. People may find their soulmate or get their dream job....Or experience disaster.





	1. Due Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I got super into binge reading soulmate AU's and I couldnt help myself. Knowing me...this will either take off and have tons of chapters.
> 
> Or have like three chapters and end vaguely. If you like it, be sure to let me know so I can decide to continue it or just leave it at a few chapters. 
> 
> Anyways. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be more airy and light than my other work....unless I get really far into it in the future. For now, I want a happy and cute feel good fanfic. So yay! 
> 
> Anyways, let me know if you want more from this! Thank you for reading!

Two hours. 

 

Two hours until the timer ran out. 

 

For weeks Myung had noticed that the countdown on her wrist was slowly ticking to it's end, the seconds flicking away and building her panic and excitement. This was it! 

 

Everyone had a countdown on their wrist, each meaning a different thing. Sometimes it was the countdown to the point of someone getting their dream jobs, other times it was the countdown for someone meeting the love of their life. Each countdown was personalized to count down to the exact moment that defined that individual’s life. The day that the timer hit zero is called the Due Day, a rather unoriginal name.Sometimes it was divine moments of life, sometimes it was horrible moments of death. There was no predicting what a person would be dealt.

 

Myung had really lost her mind when the 24 hour mark hit and she called her brother to panic. She remembers going out with a few co-workers for a celebratory dinner and going home to immediately get some rest. Her boss offered to give her the day off, but she refused. She figured that taking the day off when she normally wouldn't would screw up her fate...which was ridiculous because it was a definitive countdown.

 

She had gotten antsy over than past weeks, getting more excited and more anxious as the day got closer. The magic of a countdown is that no one knows what moment it is counting down. This is not always the best thing. There have been horror stories about people who had their countdown lead to the day that their love died or the day they get in a debilitating accident. There was plenty to panic over.

 

However, sometimes it led to point of someone meeting their future wives and best friends. With that in mind, Myung could have hope. 

 

But today didn't feel so special. Myung had woken up and gone about her normal routine. She went to work and worked on her current project and…

 

It wasn't a huge deal. She was just going about her day. As she sat in her swivel chair and lazily watched her wrist, she felt underwhelmed. What if it wasn't everything she had imagined? What if it was a huge disappointment? She was pretty sure that media had everything to do with the emphasis of the Due Day. Everyone took pride in their special day and posted it online. Movies, videogames, books, and pretty much anything else exploited it and twisted into being something extraordinary. 

 

But today was not extraordinary. 

 

It was normal. Routine. 

 

She realized this and let herself work instead of being distracted by the timer. Her butterflies were gone now. Her anxiety seemed to have melted away. Or maybe she was just avoiding thinking about it to keep her sanity. 

 

Either way, she emailed her clients and began her work.

 

* * *

 

Jumin hid his countdown. He hated it and found it completely unnecessary. His father being the main reason for his obvious apathy for the numbers on his wrist. 

 

He always made sure to have his cuffs and shirt sleeves pulled over it. If nothing else, paying someone to apply concealing makeup over it was worth the effort. He under no circumstances wanted anyone to be distracted by something so trivial. He found it to be an entirely personal matter and wanted to avoid letting it away his business partners.

 

Chiefly the women who tried to see if their countdowns were related to his. He had enough trouble with his status and his father’s influence that he risked no woman getting attached to him because of the countdown. 

 

Better than anyone, Jumin knew how the market exploits the insecurities and hopes that went along with the timer. It was good for business, but something Jumin never took much interest in. 

 

He decided to look at it only a few times in the course of a week. When he realized that he had 24 hours left, he continued with his work and adjusted his sleeve to cover it as a habit. He couldn't be bothered to worry himself over something like his Due Day. He reasoned that he has everything he's ever needed in his life at the office with his work, at home with his previous cat, and on the RFA messenger with his closest friends. 

 

However, Jumin couldn't deny that it piqued his interest in a small way. He wanted to know just what could be so important that it would be considered a turning point in his life. What could it be? Could the experience help him further understand business relations? Maybe he'll have Assistant Kang research that for him.

 

He made a mental note to tell her later. It was time for the first conference that was planned for today.

 

* * *

 

Myung hurried to get to her favorite cafe for lunch. Her timer was at exactly  _ 3 minutes and 26 seconds _ and she felt like she was going insane. The sidewalk was packed as always and the sky was cut from site with large, looking buildings. Seoul was a beautiful city...but very crowded and busy. 

 

She enjoyed the buzz of the city. It was empowering and exercising. She watched the cars, buses, and taxis creep by, lurching forward just a bit with the flow of heavy traffic. Luckily, she had decided to walk to the cafe.  She watched as a car with tinted windows pulled up a ways in front of her and a man in a fancy looking business suit stepped out, busy talking on the phone. She paid no mind to him and simply continued on walking. She too was wearing business attire, but no where near as expensive looking as that.

 

She glanced at her wrist.  _ 1 minute 34 seconds.  _

 

She gulped and continued on, beginning to grow paranoid. What if something horrible happens? What is something falls from one of the highrises and squishes her? Scenarios played in her head and she gulped. 

 

_ I'll be fine, it's okay _ .

 

She found herself at the same pace as the businessman and tried to avoid looking at him. The last thing Myung wanted was for the man to think that she was eavesdropping. He was rather intimidating and his stature was much taller than her own. 

 

“Have you filed the reports, Assistant Kang? If you have, then I would like for you to do some research on the importance of coin laundry. I never knew that it was a thing commoners are accustomed to.” The man said into the phone, looking rather bored. His voice was monotone and he ran a hand through his silky black hair. 

 

What an odd conversation, this man must be super detached from reality or something. She found herself judging the man, especially for calling people who use coin laundry  _ commoners _ . 

 

The both were stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk waiting for the light to change. Traffic whirred by and Myung checked her wrist again.  _ 45 seconds _ . She felt her heart pound in her chest and her throat felt like it had been clogged with a cork. She must have made a strange face because the man cast her a curious glance, his steel grey eyes scanning her.  

The traffic slowed to a stop and the light changed allowing pedestrians to have the right of way. 

 

_ 8 seconds. _

 

The man sighed and stepped out to cross the road. She would have followed him, but she dropped her phone. As she picked the phone up, she stole another glance at her wrist.

 

_ 3 seconds _ . 

 

As if everything were in slow motion, she experienced it. The screeching of tires. The man oblivious and invested in his phone call. The distance between his position in the street and her place in the sidewalk. She acted without thought. 

 

She reached out and grabbed the man’s arm, using all of her weight to pull him back. Landing harshly on the sidewalk, his phone was launched into the side of the bus and shattered on impact. In shock, she stared dumbly at the man who had landed beside her, his face echoing her shock. She looked at her wrist just quick enough to see the zero fade from her skin leaving a patch of blankness that she had never seen before.

 

The bus had managed to screech to a stop in the middle of the intersection. If she had not pulled him out of the way, then man may be done for. People began to yell and cars were stopped abruptly, some drivers opening their doors in curiousity. Her Due Day was… saving some stranger? She didn't know how much time passed as she sat sprawled on the sidewalk trying to fully process what had just happened. 

 

Myung hadn't noticed when the man had rose to his feet, but before she knew it, he was offering her his hand. He pulled her up and she still felt the shock hot on her face. She felt as though she couldn't speak or breathe.

 

The man dusted himself off and never took his eyes from her. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. She didn't know how he was able, but he was the first to speak, his voice only a little shaky. 

 

“I can't thank you enough. What can I do to repay you?” he asked breathlessly. She shook her head, words barely forming on her tongue. 

 

“I...um...don't.” She sputtered before properly forming a sentence. “It’s nothing, don't worry about it. Hey, are you okay?” She asked, concern lacing her shaking voice. It was as if she couldn't speak above a whisper. The man placed his hand on her shoulder. 

 

“I insist. There must be something I can repay you with? I could get you a job or…” she shook her head at that and before he could finish, he realized that his statement was going nowhere. He gave a glance back at his shattered phone on the pavement before insisting again.

  
“If there is nothing else, then allow me to treat you to lunch.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	2. Blurry Cat photos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin eats a burger for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back haha.
> 
> This is a kind break from my other fic and I like it so far. I think I might continue this one... but I'm not sure. Like I said, it may only live a few chapters.
> 
> Anyway, Thanks for the feedback on the first chapter.

_ Lunch?  _

 

They had both found themselves standing away from the edge of the sidewalk and close to the window of a small business. The street continued to be flooded with people on their lunch break and the briskness of traffic sounded in a dull hum that was inescapable in Seoul.

  
  


She was going to lunch anyway so it couldn’t hurt to have lunch with the man. There was really no way she could pass up free food so why not? Besides, she didn’t feel that the man would do anything heinous or kidnap her after she just saved his life. She made her decision whether or not it was safe or probable. 

 

“Um, sure. I can’t pass up food.” She answered, patting her hands together nervously. Wait, what was she doing. She didn’t know how long this would take nor how far away the man wanted to dine...and she had to walk back to the studio. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. The man smiled expectantly at her and ran his fingers through his hair before glancing down the street.

 

“Excellent. Then I know of a place just down the street. I was going to dine there anyway because of their selection of wines. It is one block from here.” He stated matter of factly, his voice monotone and steady.  He had motioned to some unseen place down the street. Myung stared at him for a moment and tried to take in his attire. He must be fairly well off and he speaks as if he has a very good education. However, there was something in him that struck her as odd. 

 

A certain boredom and disinterest played in his steely eyes as if this was something that occurred often. As if he were so familiar with inviting people places and taking a lead that it was second nature. If he’s well off, Myung assumed that he would go to a ritzy restaurant which was the last thing the brunette wanted. After finding out that her due date was simply to save someone, she found herself feeling dismal and empty. She wanted comfort food.

 

“Shall we go?” He asked, noticing her slight hesitation as he dropped his arm. 

 

“Well, I was thinking that another place would be better for me. I’ve had this place on my mind all morning so maybe we could there instead.” She suggested and watched as the man adopted a look of confusion. Well, there goes free lunch.

 

“My nutritionist… We can go somewhere else if that’s what you want.” he had begun to say something in argument but agreed anyway.

 

“Are you sure? I mean, it was no big deal. Me helping you, I mean.” Myung said, not sure if she was going to regret her decision to go have lunch with some strange man. For all she knows, her could be the most boring person ever or maybe super boastful. She would hate to sit at a restaurant for half an hour only to want to leave minutes after sitting down. She was making sure to give him more than enough chances to just say thanks and walk away. Not that the idea of having lunch with someone other than a coworker wasn’t nice, however…

 

Myung was a bit of an introvert.

 

“You didn’t just help me, you stopped me from getting run over. Lunch is the very least that I can do for you.” he said, placing his hand over his chest momentarily. He then mumbled “I would also like to see where commoners eat. I could take notes.” she didn’t know if she was supposed to hear that last part, but she certainly did and decided not to make a comment.  _ Was she a commoner? _ She lowkey took offense to it and hoped it didn’t show on her face. With each minute that passed, she beginning to conclude that agreeing to lunch was a bad idea.

 

“If you’re that set on it, then follow me. The place I wanna go is just up the street.” She said and motioned for him. They left their spot on the sidewalk and back to the pedestrian crossing.

 

“Oh, by the way, do you like American food?”

 

 

* * *

  
  


 

They got to the restaurant and it was a standard fifties themed burger place. These had begun to get popular in Korea and many people enjoyed them. She first went with Jun, her younger brother. She really just went for the milkshakes which were highly regarded as the star menu item. The restaurant was called Shake’n Quake.

 

She grabbed the door and opened it for the man, not allowing him to open it for her. She hated that awkward situation that having the door held open for her put her in so she tended to avoid it when possible.

 

The interior was decorated with colors of red, black, and white. The chairs and booths had fifties style cushions and the floor was checkered. A bar sat at the back of the building and showcased the famous milkshake glasses. Neon lights set above the bar with the name and slogan of the restaurant. An aroma of sizzling hamburger patties drew water to her mouth. The restaurant was busy, but not impossibly so that they couldn’t get a seat. There was no hostess, so Myung took the chance and quickly grabbed a booth by the window.

 

The dark-haired man followed her and sat at the cushioned booth, his eyes flicking around the building. The man seemed out of place in the casual atmosphere of the building and Myung wondered if she ever looked out of place. He seemed to have something to say but he choose his words carefully.

 

“I have never been to a restaurant like this. Is this style popular right now?” He asked. Was is popular right now? Did he live under a rock?

 

“It is pretty popular right now. A lot of people are really getting into American styles and fashion. I like American fashion, but I don’t understand why it’s so popular all of a sudden. However, I definitely can see what the fuss is about when I come here.” she said and laughed airily to herself. He seemed satisfied with her answer and grabbed a menu.

The server arrived at the table and asked in a cheery tone if she could get their drink orders. After a moment of thought, she decided on a chocolate milkshake. The man in front of her, however, didn’t hesitate in thought.

 

“I would like a glass of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, please.” He ordered confidently. Myung laughed at his joke and the look on the server’s face, her shock was priceless. Myung’s outburst caused her to laugh too taking his order as no more than a joke. He looked as if he were about to argue but was cut off by Myung.

 

“He’ll probably want a milkshake, right?” She halfway asked and halfway stated. The server waited for his confirmation and he responded with a yes. When the server bounded off to put in the order, the man looked down at his folded hands which lay on the table top.

 

“I don’t think asking for wine is particularly funny. If you wanted to recommend to me a milkshake, then you should have brought it up beforehand.” He said, looking slightly upset at his unwanted order. Myung shook her head.

 

“I wouldn’t have taken you for someone who jokes around, considering your...um. Nevermind. What do you do?” She asked, propping her head up on her palm, only faintly interested in what he said. Her mind was still on the disappearance of the numbers on her wrist. She  _ should _ be more interested because, hey, free food but she wasn’t.

 

“ What did you say your name was? I would like to know what you do instead.” he didn’t skip a beat and his question caught her off guard. Men are so quick to brag about themselves, but he wanted to know about her? She straightened up and thought of the best place to begin. Anyone who asked what she did and her interests were in for an ear full.

 

“Oh, I’m Myung. I work as a website designer, but I also have done work in magazines and making ads. You know, the annoying pop-up ads. I actually went to school for illustration and I wanted to make video games, but instead, I found a good job in advertising so I did that instead. I still draw for myself almost every day.” she said and looked at him to see if he was bored. He seemed interested enough and asked her another question.

 

“Where did you go to school?” He asked, sounding as if he was giving her an interview. She glanced at her hands, not really partial to her education or the mention of education. 

 

“Just a design school in Daejeon. It was fairly standard.” she admitted and he nodded, absorbing the information. She listened as he sprung another boring standard question on her. Just boring small talk.

 

“Daejeon? Was that where you grew up?” he asked, deciding to glance through the menu. She nodded and pushed her menu aside. She already knew what she wanted, she had been to this place several times before and already had a favorite. 

 

“Yep. It is.” a very awkward and short-winded answer, but she just wanted to place her order. The server bounced up and asked if they were ready to order, saving her from the awkwardness. Before she could place her order, the man in front of her spoke up and let the server know that he was still browsing the menu. She squished her cheek into her palm at the inability to order her usual. She watched as the man in front of her continued to flip back and forth through the menu, growing more and more confused with each passing second. What on earth was he looking for?

 

“Would you mind giving me some advice?” he finally spoke up, still looking at the menu with his brows furrowed.  _ Advice?  _ Did he mean a suggestion?

 

“Um, yeah, sure.” she mumbled. At her confirmation, he flipped the menu towards her and pointed at a photo of a cheeseburger. With the most serious face, the most monotone voice, he asked a completely ridiculous question.

 

“What is this? What is a cheeseburger?” Myung covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. He kept his face serious and he himself didn’t even twitch his mouth into a hint of a smile. He should be an actor.

 

“Very funny. You’re good at acting, you know?” she said with an almost sarcastic ring. His straight face didn’t waver and he even looked a bit dejected. 

 

“I’ve never been schooled in acting so I wouldn’t know how to act. Is it a natural talent of mine?” he asked mostly to himself. She scanned his face for any signs of a lie, any signs of humor. Nothing. He was straight up serious.

 

“Are you kidding me? You’ve never had a cheeseburger?” she asked, her tone amazed. How is that possible? It’s like meeting someone who has never drunk water or eaten rice. How could someone have never had a burger? He  _ has _ to be joking.

 

“My nutritionist never scheduled into my dietary plan and I never had one growing up.” he admitted, his seriousness remained. Nutritionist? What the hell? She stared at him for a good thirty seconds and then gave him a disbelieving laugh.

 

“Where you a pained child? Did your parents hate you? You’ve never had a cheeseburger? Please tell me you’ve had ice cream and french fries?” she gushed out in awe. He nodded his slate eyes lighting in recognition.

 

“Of course I’ve had ice cream. It’s one of the things that goes very well with a cannoli.” he stated matter of factly. She rubbed her face and sighed. 

 

“You’re going to have what I’m having, okay? It’s the best burger on the menu and I think your first burger should be a good one.” She said, slapping open her menu and pointing at the photo of her favorite burger. He leaned over to get a better look, memorizing the description of the item. “It’s the Bacon Cheeseburger with the cajun mayonnaise. It’s the best.”

 

“It looks nice. The cajun mayonnaise, is that good on its own?” He asked and Myung nodded. She closed the menu and slid it over. 

 

“Oh yeah. The cajun mayonnaise is the best part, in my opinion. I’m sure it would be good on other things too.” She announced excitedly. She hadn’t even noticed the server walk up and set two milkshakes on the table top. One was chocolate and the other was vanilla. She pulled her chocolate milkshake to her without hesitation. Her brothers would always play this mean trick on her in which they would grab her milkshake and blow through the straws. It was horrible so she is conditioned to snatch the milkshake away from the center of the table as a result. 

 

The man looked curiously at the milkshake while Myung ordered for them both. After the server went off with orders in hand, the man spoke up.

 

“This milkshake is very pretty and white. It reminds me of my lady.” That's a bit strange to say, but Myung didn’t judge.

 

“Oh yeah? Well, your milkshake is going to melt if all you do it stare at it.” she teased, and then asked, “Lady huh? Is she like blonde or something?” she asked and he shook his head.

 

“No, I’ll show you what she looks like.”

 

He pulled out of his suit jacket pocket several photos. What the hell, why wouldn’t he have the photos on his phone...oh. It got run over earlier. She still found it extra that he had photos on him. Great, just great. She was going to have to sit here and listen to this guy brag about his girlfriend. When the dark-haired man found the photo he was looking for, he angled it towards her with a proud smile on his lips. The photo showed a beautiful white cat with long fur and sapphire eyes. The cat was an expensive breed and she was wearing a nice collar. 

 

“Oh! She’s so pretty!” she said, her disappointment melting away. Myung  _ loved _ cats. She had a bed full of cat stuffed animals at home, not that she’d tell anyone.

 

“No, she’s beautiful. She’s also elegant and perfect.” He corrected her matter of factly. “I’ve had her for two years. Her name is Elizabeth the III and she is my beloved lady.” he boasted, his pride and love of the cat were evident even to the dumbest of people.

 

“In that case, I have a lady too!” Myung pulled out her smartphone and began scrolling. When she found a photo of her cat, she showed him and he smiled. She noticed that this was the first time her seemed emotional. He must be a cat lover too. The cat she showed him was her first cat that she got in middle school, a well-mannered calico cat. The cat was twelve years old. “This is Peach. I was going to name her Princess, but chose Peach instead because she has those orange spots on her. She’s kinda old now, but she’s irreplaceable.” Myung said, watching him pull another photo from his stash and show her.

 

It was absurdly blurry but she could tell it was his cat because of the white streak. He seemed just as proud of that photo ss the other one.

 

“I took this photo myself. Look at her beauty.” He said in a dreamy way. She pressed her lips together to avoid smiling at the failure of a cohesive photo. She went to design school and was always around amazing photographers, so a blurry photo was a sight for sore eyes. 

 

‘That’s uh… a cute photo.” she finally said, a hint of laughter played in her voice.

 

The food arrived and they ate and shared stories about their cats like true loners. After the food was eaten and dessert was considered, Myung glanced at the time. She had taken an extra thirty minutes off. She was thirty minutes late to work!

 

“Oh no, the time! I should have been back thirty minutes ago!” she exclaimed and began slurping down the dregs of her milkshake. The man didn’t seem too concerned and he stood, taking his time. She grabbed her purse and was ready to run out.

 

“Hey, just let me pay for this. Really, you don’t have anything to thank me for. I reeeeally have to go. My boss is gonna be pissed.” she urged and the man shook his head.

 

“No, I’m paying the bill and you won’t argue with me. Besides, I think the boss will be sympathetic once I talk to them.” She stared at him for a moment.

 

“What do you mean?” she asked, irritated with his lack of care. Talking with this guy isn’t going to settle her down a bit. She’ll chew Myung’s ass for this and a simple sorry from some random guy isn’t going to sway that.

 

“Well, your boss, if you agree, will have to take a lot more of your absences as I want to give you an opportunity.” he said, smiling to himself. What? “You’ve shown me how much you care for cats and Elizabeth the III gets lonely sometimes when I’m working, so I want to hire you as catsitter. Just a few hours out of your day, you will leave work around lunchtime and give her some attention for two hours. I would offer to hire you full time, but you seem passionate about your work.” he finished his offer. He wants to pay her to go play with his cat for a few hours out of the day? Hell yeah!

 

No, that’s weird. Who does he think he is. Her boss will never settle for that but she decided to humor him anyway.

 

“Sure, I’d love to. I d oubt my boss will agree to that, but you can try.” she said, trying to discourage him with her tone as a way of letting him know that her boss won’t allow that.

 

“I’m sure your boss will be glad to let you work for me. First, I’ll have to run a background check and look at your full resume, but I think you will take good care of my lady.” He said confidently. Woah woah, he’s getting too serious.

 

“Um, okay” she didn’t know what else to say. What else could she say? She pulled out her boss’s business card and offered it to him because she was certain he would ask for that next. He took it and gave her his own card. Before she could read it, he was already at the cash register paying the bill. She looked down at the card and read the name.

 

_ Jumin Han _

_ C&R CEO _

 

She almost felt as if her soul left her body. Was it  _ the Jumin Han _ ? She saved Jumin Han. The millionaire bachelor, the chief executive of the country’s highest grossing export company, if not the highest grossing company of all. And he was offering her a job.

 

She watched in shock as he took his receipt and began out the door.

 

“See you tomorrow.”

 

And he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, The cat Peach was almost named Princess because my cat is named Princess. So yeah, pretty cringe and unoriginal.
> 
> It was a great thought to have Jumin and MC fangirl over their cats in a restaurant, so I put it in here hah. Classic.


	3. The Possible Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin and Myung both rely on their kitties to help them relax after a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo! Guess what? Im going to continue this for a while and see where it goes. 
> 
> Im a hoe for Jumin fluff, so this will be like my self care haha.
> 
> Anyways, expect a few updates in the next week or so.

_ What a day. _

 

Loosening his tie, Jumin sighed as he carelessly dropped his briefcase at the door. The door was closed behind him by two of his security guards and a familiar voice welcomed him home. The white persian padded forward, her tail raised high in greeting. He smiled fondly at his lady and kneeled to return the greeting, cherishing the softness of her fur, her clear eyes were sympathetic. She seemed to understand his tired state and she gave him her full attention after having missed him all day. She was truly his closest friend.

 

Elizabeth followed him into the kitchen where he pulled his favorite wine from its place. He wanted to relax after the dinner party. His father was going through a divorce right now, not to Jumin’s surprise at all. He had warned his father that this particular wife of his would treat him the same, but of course the chairman hadn’t listened to his son. Jumin didn’t care what his father did as long as it didn’t affect his work or the company. However, this divorce could prove harmful with all of the negative tabloids being passed around so frivolously. Upon recalling his unpleasant dinner, he decided that he would indulge in two glasses this evening.

 

Feeling slightly better after a short chat with the RFA members and his two indulgent glasses of wine, he quickly took a shower and tried to focus of what projects he could start to up the rise of stock despite the gossip. He dried himself off and changed into his pajamas in routine. However, something was different, something he noticed when he reached out for his toothbrush. His wrist was… oddly clear. Vacant.

 

The countdown.

 

It was gone.

 

But when?  _ At what point in the day had something happened that would have caused this?  _ He reminisced his day and had almost forgotten one thing.

 

The girl who had pulled him out of the way of death… or at least serious injury. His new phone sat on the bathroom countertop as a reminder of it, how close he was to being hurt. Of course, he had done the only thing he had learned to do and that was properly entertain the person who had done such a favor with the reward of a lunch or job offering. He had done both but it did not satisfy him as much as he had thought.

 

That girl, had she been the moment? Which part? When she saved him or when he offered her the job? God, why couldn’t he have been more observant? Of all days to routinely apply makeup as a concealer.

 

Still, whether she had anything to do with the countdown or not, he felt uneasy and shaken by her. He gave her a position, just as he had with all other people who he deemed trustworthy. It was the only thing he had learned to do, the exception being the RFA. However, the position that he gave her wasn’t needed. She was a special case, no doubt, and he admired her for nothing more than her blunt personality. She didn’t seem very interested in joining him in lunch nor did she seem to care much about who he was… unless she didn’t know? She was the first to refrain from saying he was obsessed with cats and he couldn’t lie to himself by saying that her cat wasn’t cute. It was a nice and simple lunch that didn’t leave him with a headache. So he did the only thing he could do, which was impulse hire her. Not through the company, but through himself, paying her with his own earnings.

 

Of course, the fact that he still felt unnerved was a problem even after hiring her, but he had another issue. He found himself having a twinge of jealousy at the thought that if this girl comes in and spends lots of time with Elizabeth, his lovely cat may take more of a liking to her than him.

 

But of course, that wouldn’t happen.

 

Only Elizabeth knows him so only see will understand his complexities. His lovely companion is the only living thing that understands him and will never leave. And his mind was put at ease when he remembered that.

 

* * *

  
  


_ What a day. _

 

Myung slung her bag down and rushed over to a sleeping figure on her sofa. With no hesitation, she buried her face into the soft fur of her adorable cat. The cat stirred from her slumber and gave a small welcoming chirp before falling silent again, rolling over to expose her tummy. It was as if the warmth of her kitty had fully charged Myung, because she now felt full of energy, albeit still confused to her bones.

 

Not only had the saved the imminent death or injury of one of Korea’s most influential young bachelors and the executive of one of the highest grossing companies in the country, but he had hired her as a babysitter for his cat. 

 

When she had gotten to the studio, she had been overly skeptical about the entire situation. She thought maybe the man was just joking, calling himself Jumin Han and passing around phony business cards. She went to work and got chewed out by her boss and not an hour later did a business woman come to speak to her at her office. She gave her a small interview and got Myung’s personal information from her boss. 

 

The person called herself Kang Jaehee, but she just called her Miss Kang. She looked as if she didn't want to be there and quickly got the information and gave Myung a set of phone numbers and email addresses that made her head spin. The final thing she said before leaving in a hurry was to meet her at some building the next day around noon. 

 

Myung agreed and her boss, now proven that Myung had a good reason to miss a bit of work, reluctantly agreed to just make her stay an hour early each day she went. From what Myung understood, she would stay from noon to around two in the afternoon to give the cat company and provide food for her if needed. 

 

It was literally the best job she could have, but the terms were undecided. It would be decided the following day and Myung felt herself grow anxious at the thought of working for someone so famous for being harsh on employees. She didn't know what her pay would be nor what the rules for the job were yet. 

 

To say the least, this was interesting enough to have her look forward to it. Even if she got fired the second day or something crazy like that, it would be a fun story to tell her friends so she didn't mind much. 

 

Besides, how hard can watching a cat be?

 

She huffed at the recollection of her day and hurried into the kitchen to make dinner for herself and her kitty.

 

* * *

 

A man sat alone in a dark room that was only illuminated by a blue glow from several computer monitors.

 

He had begun a new project and was immersed in the information on the many screens. He sighed and mentally crossed out several persons already, finding that they would not work for the project. He had to pick someone perfect, someone who couldn't fail this job. 

 

He dreamily remembered what an important figure had told him only hours before. The end product of this project would mean that he would finally have peace of mind and his paradise would be more perfected as a certain person would fall into destruction under his plan.

 

His eyes lit up in faint interest at a name on the main monitor. 

 

Cha Myung.

 

She seemed decent enough, but he couldn't know for sure. He quickly saved the information on her and decided that she could be a possible candidate if his research on her proved to be what he needed. 

 

For now, he continued his search as to not miss out on anyone better. He laughed darkly and broke his own silence.

 

“You may very well be invited to join our paradise, Cha Myung. Maybe….”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bwahaha, is this plot developing?
> 
> Maybe. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading and guving feedback on this. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do!


	4. Laminated Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myung awkwardly starts her first day of cat sitting after a short meeting with Mr. Han

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in one day!?
> 
> I was kinda stuck writing this next chapter because from here it just gets cute so I wanted to get this part out of the way.

The elevator counted up the floors as Myung clutched her bag. She had done as she instructed and showed up thirty minutes before noon to get the rules and her objectives straightened out. The CEO’s assistant had someone drive her to the location which was a gigantic skyscraper that had over a hundred floors. She felt really out of place as she headed inside and found that the lobby was decorated with white marble and the person at the front desk handed her a key card.

 

She still wasn't sure what the keycard was for, but she kept it in her hand as the elevator dinged.

 

She had reached the top floor, aka the penthouse. 

 

With a deep breath she stepped out of the elevator as the doors swung open. In front of her was a hallway that led to one door that had two men in suits guarding the entrance. There were no windows, just a white hallway. 

 

Oh dear.

 

They were security guards, she deducted and shly approached them. They hardly paid her mind as she approached and she looked around them at the door.

 

“Hey, I'm Cha Myung. I’m supposed to meet Mr Han here?” she halfway asked before holding up the keycard. “I have a keycard, I don't know what it's for…” she continued nervously. The guards moved aside to reveal a slot for the key similar to that of a hotel room. 

 

Okay…

 

“Mr. Han will see you now.” The one on the right spoke up and motioned to the slot beside him. 

 

“Alright, thank you.” she muttered as she approached the door and flipped the card over to the correct side before sliding it in and hearing an affirmative beep.

 

She opened the door to find another security guard and locked door in a smaller room. What? Is he kidding? This security guard was even bigger than the previous two and had a stun gun at his side. She felt as if she were making her way past small bosses in a video game to a larger boss. Was Mr. Han the final boss?

 

“Name.” The man demanded, taking no time to get to the point. She gulped and answered. 

 

“Cha Myung.” she answered and the security guard took no time to ask the next question. 

 

“Purpose?” His gruff voice demanded again. She fidgeted with her bag before answering. 

 

“I'm the.... catsitter? Look, I’m here to talk with Mr. Han so I'm not really officially hired yet.” she replied honestly. The guard nodded and cracked the door open before stepping inside and slamming the door shut. 

 

Okay, was that the wrong answer? He just ran off. How long was she going to have to stand here? 

 

She didn't have to wait long before the security guard opened the door for her. He announced that she was welcome to come in. She reluctantly stepped into the door and found herself in a large and immaculate living area. The door was shut behind her leaving her with only forward to go.

 

There was a large flat screen television display and several new gaming consoles to match on the wall. A bed was laid under the tv and had a fish tank that rose all the way to the ceiling. A large window showed the skyline of Seoul from so high up, making the other buildings look smaller at the height.  On the white marble tile near the window sat a dinning room table and that's where she found the familiar figure. 

 

“Oh thank god. I thought I was going to be put through another round of security guards.” she joked but only gave a timid laugh to her own joke when she saw that he hadn't answered. 

 

He was thumbing through a stack of papers and had some papers laid out in front of an empty chair. They were for her. She made her way over to the table and tried not to breathe too hard for fear that she might accidentally mess up something in the penthouse. 

 

“You may take a seat. I have many things to discuss with you before you begin. I will also be discussing payment with you, so I trust you'll sit comfortably.” he stated matter of factly, not bothering to look up from his papers. 

 

She obeyed and sat down trying to drag her eyes away from the skyline out the window. She had never been this high up. Maybe one day she could afford a place this high up in the mountains or something nice like that. It wasn't very probable, but she could hope right?

 

“You like heights, don't you?” the man asked, looking up at her for the first time since she entered. Yikes, she had done it again. She had zoned out. She wondered whether or not to apologize or answer his question when she saw the genuine curiosity in his steel eyes.

 

“Um, yes. Heights are really beautiful to me.” she responded and he too looked outside to see what she had been looking at. In the distance, a low flying plane could be seen under the clouds.

 

“Psychologists say that people who enjoy heights are ambitious and powerful people who enjoy the comfort of being in control. Perhaps that is why I enjoy such a view?” he questioned and she wondered if he was talking to himself instead of her. 

 

“Maybe you just think it’s pretty like me?” she offered an answer expecting it to be brushed off. 

 

“Psychologists are not always correct in their assumptions. I think you're right in a simple way.” he replied, taking his eyes off the skyline. Was that an insult?

 

He then directed her attention towards the papers in front of her and pushed another paper towards her. 

 

“These are the rules for Elizabeth, this is a list of contacts for her veterinarians and her stylist if something were to come up, and this is the activity list for her to keep her thoroughly entertained. I will explain each of these in detail after I introduce you to her.” he began and stood before sliding his chair in. 

 

“Wait here. If you want to look over the rules while I'm gone, feel free to and remember any questions you may have.” he suggested before disappearing down the hallway. 

 

His cat has a stylist? 

 

She skimmed through the pages and noticed they were laminated. What had she gotten herself into? She had a laugh at the activity list. The most interesting bullet point was  _ Under no circumstances will Elizabeth be allowed to listen to any form of heavy metal or any hooligan racket of the sort. _

Hooligan racket huh? What did he consider hooligan racket? She thought he was in his twenties but this kind of statement would be conservative for an elderly man.

 

A soft meow brought her away from her internally mockery of the rules. The man held a gorgeous white persian with beautiful blue eyes. She looked even more gorgeous than the oddly convenient printed photos he had of her. Her tail swished around lazily and her embroidered collar jingled as she looked up at her owner.  He sat her down and no sooner was Myung out of her seat, suppressing a childish squeal.

 

“She's so pretty! Can I pet her? Please?” she asked, her nervousness melted away and her composure vanished. The man, now generously covered in long white strands of fur, smiled and responded to her. 

 

“You have my permission. Just don't pick her up, she's not used to that.” and with that, the brunette was elbows deep in fur as she bent down to pet her. The cat purred and rubbed her head on her arm in welcoming and Myung stroked her head and rubbed under her neck. The cat rolled over on her back and the brunette was careful.

 

Cats may roll over on their backs to expose their tummies as a defence and then gnaw off someone's hand if they're not careful. Myung backed off until the cat flipped back over at continued petting her back. 

 

“I see the two of you are getting along very well. That's very good. I believe it's time to discuss your payment.” he said through a smile and walked around the table to grab his checkbook. She looked up from her position beside the kitty and decided to ask a question that has bothered her this whole time.

 

“Mr. Han, if I may ask, why are you trusting me with this kind of job? How can you trust me around your kitty without knowing me more?” she asked, hoping she hadn't come across as rude. He paused as he took out his pen. She stood up and placed her hand on the back of the chair. “What I'm trying to ask is what should I do to not disappoint you?” she saved, pulling out one of her classic interview questions. She hadnt meant to be direct or borderline insulting with her question. 

 

He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, formulating a response. When he opened his eyes, she could see a glimmer of something in his eyes. 

 

“What you can do to not disappoint me is to be a bit more confident. I wasn't going to hire you if you didn't pass my test today, but you more than met my expectations.” he replied, resuming his task by clicking his pen and filling out the check. 

 

“Test? What do mean?” she asked, glancing at the papers on the table. Had he missed a sheet of paper, a test? He ripped out the check and placed it on the tabletop out of her view. 

 

“I was not going to consider hiring you if you had not taken the introduction to Elizabeth seriously. Not only did you want to personally pet her and let her get to know you, but you asked my permission. You also took no time in reading the rules I have in line for you. Most of my employees neglect to even read over the information I give them. It is highly frustrating.” his long winded answer seemed to shed a bit of light on what was going through his mind. 

 

Oh…

 

“I understand. I'm glad I met your expectations.” What else was she supposed to say? 

 

“Because I trust that you will read over the rules and guidelines I've provided for you, I don't think it's necessary to go over them in detail. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me yourself. I trust my assistant gave you means of contacting me?” he asked, waiting for her answer, his pen in hand.

 

“Yes sir, she did.” she answered, looking down at the white ball of fluff that was rubbing against her legs happily. 

 

“Then it is settled. I will be expecting you here every day at noon until two unless I notify otherwise. I must go.” he said finally, grabbing the check and placing in her hand which she read immediately. Woah.

 

2,000,000 won.

 

“Mr. Han, is this for the whole week?” she asked in amazement, watching as he walked around her and grabbed a briefcase from beside the door.

 

“No, that is just for today. The check for the rest of the days will be on the kitchen table when you arrive tomorrow. Would you prefer that I hold off paying you daily and give you a check for the whole week?” he answered as if it were no big deal. Just for today???

 

“Do you realize that this is way too much to be paying me for this job?” she questioned, wondering if he had made a mistake when writing the check. He grabbed the doorknob before answering.

 

“I didn't realize, but I don't intend on changing my mind. Consider it motivation.” And then he left, closing the door. This has to be a joke. 

 

Left for two hours, she decided to carefully read over the sheets of paper in front of her.

 

Motivation her ass. Two million won… that's a little over one week's pay for her.

 

She sighed and began to read the laminated rules and remembered something.

 

She forgot to ask what “hooligan racket” was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Game: What do you think Jumin considers bad music for Elizabeth to listen to?
> 
> Also, 2,000,000 won is the equivalent of like 2,100 US dollars.


	5. Karaoke Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myung's thirsty friend tries to convince Myung that she had found her soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kinda filler-y but its necessary. 
> 
> It gives a small insight on Myung's point of view regarding working for Jumin.

“What's he like, do you think he’s handsome?”

 

The brunette sighed and rubbed her temple. Her blonde friend always asked that no matter who she had met. They sat in a karaoke bar and they both waited on their deserts while their third friend drunkenly crooned into the microphone on stage. 

 

“Why does that matter? Did you hear a word I said, Seongeun?” she asked, trying to seem frustrated but in reality it was one of her friend’s amusing traits. She looked down and smiled at her watered down daiquiri, swishing its contents around. 

 

“I just don't see how you can be so dense all the time. Loosen up and answer the question.” Her friend urged, taking a sip of her drink. Myung had simply ordered a cup of soda. She was the designated driver for both of her friends. She decided to give in. 

 

“Fine. He’s pretty okay looking...I guess. I don't really pay attention. Are you happy now? Now back to what I was saying about his cat.” she began but was interrupted by her friend again. 

 

“You guess? Let me see a picture of him! I'll be the judge.” she whined and Myung had to assume that she was beginning to feel tipsy. She sighed again and pulled out her phone to do a quick google search. She turned her phone towards the blonde who snatched it away, her hazel eyes scanning the photos. She turned the phone back around to face Myung, her mouth wide open in shock. 

 

“Myung, are you BLIND?” she raised her voice at the last word and the brunette flinched, “How can you work for him and not like faint? He’s super gorgeous, just look at his eyes.” she gushed and Myung rolled her eyes.

 

“Maybe it's because I focus on work, not how attractive my boss is?” She replied, taking a sip of her soda. “Besides, he looks a bit different in person. He doesn't look as stark as he does in that photo.” she said matter of factly but realised that what she had said didn't help her case any when she saw her friend's coy grin. 

 

“So are you saying you know him differently? You have known him for four days...and stayed in his house.” she teased, and then swirled her glass again before asking, “Does he have a girlfriend or something because…” she didn't have to finish her sentence because she knew exactly what she was going to say. 

 

“I'm not introducing you to him, if that's what you're hoping for.” she stated, tossing a glance at her friends who was coming off the stage as the music died down. She didn't answer the previous question about knowing him well. It was best to ignore those kind of accusations because argument would only push her friend to pry more.

 

“No, that's not what I was getting at. You said your countdown ended when you met him, so I think he’s like your soulmate or something.” she accused and bit her straw. The brunette laughed aloud at that. 

 

“You mean when I saved him from being hit by a bus? I don't think that's what the countdown was for, but I have a theory for what it was.” she said and watched as the red faced karaoke queen sat down at her seat, swaying a bit with her current drunken state. She caught the last bit of what Myung had said and listened silently.

 

“Oh yeah, if you two aren't meant to be, then why on earth would your countdown stop then?” she questioned, ready to make an argument. Myung took a deep breath and leaned forward to allow the two to hear better in the noise of the busy room.

 

“I think that this is fate’s way of letting me get more financially stable so I can support my personal projects. I saved him so I could get this job and afford to get supplies to work on the video game that I want to make. I can hire someone to do the programming and also this will help me pay off my student loans. Why else would I get this kind of chance?” she began and the new friend raised her finger in question before the blonde could interject. 

 

“Yes, Yuki?” she asked the dark haired girl. 

 

“I have two questions,” she slurred, “First, why are you talking about video games. Its karaoke night. And two, will you come and dance with me? I need you to have fun too.” the small girl slurred and hiccuped. Maybe it's time to go home instead? Myung face planted. She needs a drink. 

 

She gave Seongeun a look that asked permission and the blonde waved her forth. Before she could get up, her phone began to ring. She grabbed it and was about to decline the call until she saw the name.

 

Jumin Han.

 

She turned the phone towards her blonde friend in a second of explanation before she gunned it out of the bar to answer the phone. She didnt need for him to hear music and bad karaoke in the background. Much her disappointment, both of her friends followed her curiously despite her mad shooing. 

 

She answered the phone as she was walking out the front door and settled on the dark sidewalk. Her friends were giggling to each other and Myung was making angry gestures for them to shut up. 

 

“Hello, Mr. Han. What can I help you with this evening?” she said, pulling her best tone to conceal that she was frustrated at the current moment. Her friends both huddled close to the phone in order to try an hear the conversation. 

 

She couldn't stop them, so why bother.

 

“Good evening, Miss Cha. I have a question concerning tomorrow's schedule. Do you have time to talk about that right now?” he asked, his voice low and monotone as usual, but even more so through the phone. 

 

“Yes, of course. What's up?” she asked and cursed herself for not sounding more professional. It's not like she could focus with both of her idiot friends whispering two inches from her head.

 

“Good. I need you to stay an additional thirty minutes because Elizabeth's stylist will be there. I find that she needs extra comforting after a fur trim. I will compensate you for your time.” he said and then paused after he caught some of the whispering on her side. She gave an elbow to Yuki’s side. 

 

“Oh...I got distracted for a moment. Miss Cha, I have to ask you about something I noticed with my Elizabeth. I noticed that she has lost a bit of weight since this morning. Are you feeding her as I listed on the schedule?” her friend made a low “oooooo” at his question in mockery which earned her a glare 

 

“Yes, Mr. Han. I fed her on schedule. I did notice that she was extra active today. Her playtime was longer than usual.” Myung bullshitted an excuse. She really had fed her on schedule, but Jumin was picky. He noticed literally everything. He’d always shoot her a text if he noticed one single thing out of place or different. It always lead to a small conversation.

 

“That must be it. Since I'm on the phone, I might as well ask how your day has been. Have you eaten regularly today?” he asked as if it was a normal thing to ask. She shoved her friends away so she could focus on her answer better.

 

“Yes sir. I've eaten...well? Um, my day was nice. What about you?” she answered simply not knowing how else to answer it. Did he really care to hear about her day? She doubted it and chalked it up to being polite. 

 

“You want to hear about my day? Very well…” he trailed off thinking about what to say. “My day has gone perfectly according to my routine until one of my employees informed me of a tabloid headline that could be potentially damaging to the company. After that, my day has been a drag. I can't complain, at least I have my lady to comfort me.” she listened and tried to understand. He could have just given her some kind of simply polite answer, but he actually told her something that had happened. 

 

“It's good that you have someone like Elizabeth there for you. She is such nice company.” she answered honestly, her friends giving her a curious look. She mouthed the word  _ cat  _ at them to clarify.

 

“It's refreshing to hear someone who thinks so. Ah, I've talked too long. I usually keep my phone calls short and to the point. Maybe I'm more tired than usual. Then…” he was about to hang up but Myung had something else to say. 

 

“Wait! I have something to say before you go.” she said and the silence on the other end made her wonder if he had already hung up.

 

“Okay, go ahead. I’m curious as to what it is.” he said finally and she wondered if she had just needed to keep her mouth shut. 

 

“I haven't seen you since the first day I worked and I didn't get the chance to properly tell you thank you.” she stated, trying to sound proper but failing. She was more of a casual person and she couldn't stop herself from casually speaking. Her friends both started whispering excitedly at each other.

 

“Thank me? That's not necessary. Do a good job that will be thanks enough. Besides, this is more of a thanks to you for what you've done.” he responded, a twinge of emotion in his otherwise void voice. It suited him, she realised.

 

“I thought that's what lunch was for.” she teased and then remembered who she was talking to. “Also, can I ask that you not call me Miss Cha. That's what my friends call my mom. Myung is good enough.” she said, amusement playing in her voice. 

 

“If that's what you want, then I'll be more casual. Have a good evening, Myung, and keep me updated about Elizabeth tomorrow.” he said, pulling the phone call to a close.

 

“You too. Good evening.” she responded and the call ended. 

 

She had heard from his assistant that he wasn't someone to have small talk….so why was he trying to talk to her? Maybe she should loosen up. He's a person like her and she shouldn't be so afraid that he'll be displeased with her job. He wasn't known to be accommodating to his employees but he seemed to be softer towards her. Maybe people just made him out to be harsher than he was? Either way, the worst that can happen if she relaxes is that she'll lose the job...and it's not as if that would damage her much. She had made it before without it and she'll continue to. 

 

Still, something about it was refreshing. 

 

Something about watching a cat and the job being somewhat challenging and important made her feel good. She was expendable at her other job but not everyone gets to be the Jumin Han’s catsitter. 

 

Her friends teased her for the rest of the night and she drove them home safely after they couldn't stand by themselves. 

 

She was unaware that eyes watched her under every surveillance camera that reached her. She was oblivious to all of her social media being read and categorised as sufficient research for a darker intention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm, you wonder if Seongeun might be a problem? I think she might, she has one of those personalities.
> 
> Thank you for the support!


	6. Cat-astrophe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin begins to find that Myung distracts him and he debates firing her... all while she makes a mess worthy of being fired at his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first played Jumin's route, this was a scene that came to mind and it's stuck with me.
> 
> So here it is! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! 
> 
> Thank you!

Jumin had felt complicated all week. From the time that he had met that girl when she pulled him from injury and the days following as she worked on keeping his cat happy. This was the fifth day she had worked under him and he thought he'd have some sort of explanation as to why he felt so complex. He didn't have a particular answer, however, he did come up with a few factors that may have something to do with it. 

 

First of all, his Due Date was the day she had saved him and he had concluded that it was too obvious to be considered a coincidence at this point. That alone, despite his distaste towards the entire matter, had shaken him and his mind into a flurry of ideas and theories. He wondered if when she had pulled him from the way, if her countdown had hit zero. If not then, he found himself curious as to when it had in her life or if it had. He knew that it really didn't matter because he believed that you decide your own fate, but it didn't stop his mind from coming up with what ifs. 

 

Secondly, she felt the most authentic of all of his employees. She did as he told her but not in a superficial way. She didn't seem to be after a way to take advantage of him and his position and she didn't pretend to care just for his approval. 

 

He had found over the years that people would agree with him about anything just because he held a high position in the company. They would disregard their own beliefs and preferences and agree with him just to impress him. She did not do this. She would always voice her opinion or thoughts whether or not he agreed and she wasn't afraid to be casual from time to time.

 

When he would text her about Elizabeth, she would answer him in an honest way, not in a way as to earn extra brownie points. He found himself talking to her longer than he normally would and wondering how her day had gone. It was something that he didn't bother to care about as he was much too busy but with her… it comforted him to have her talk to him.

 

Third, the thing that struck him most odd about her was that she didn't seem to have a single bit of interest in him. Not that he believed that he was particularly interesting to women in a disrespectful way, unlike one actor her knew, but most women bothered him incessantly. She did not. She only seemed to care for his Elizabeth and her own work. 

 

All of these things and more that he couldn’t quite place were the factors that made him frazzled all week. He hadn't the slightest clue as to why it affected him like this but he loathed it. It was distracting him from his work.

 

But he couldn't bare to change anything about it. 

 

He was confused because he rationalised that if he were to just fire her, she wouldn't distract him any longer. However, with his own realization that in the evenings when he should have no concern about her at all, he wanted to call her. 

 

Would firing her work or would it be more distracting to him to wonder how she is outside of work.

 

He couldn't fire here yet. She hadn't done anything worthy of being punished for. She had been a perfect worker and she had never done anything distasteful in his house. His security guards had told him just what she was doing according to the security footage. Nothing bad at all. 

 

Maybe he was tired. 

 

Perhaps all of this is just him overanalyzing the situation. He could blame it in his father's divorce and the exhausting work her had to do to keep the visual image of the company up for the public. He had already done several mindless interviews that fed nothing but pure gossip. He had cut any more interviews from his schedule. It's not as if he hadn't done all of this and more before, but maybe this divorce is more tiring than the other two times. 

 

Jumin decided that only time will tell and he stepped off the elevator to enter the penthouse. He decided to be there when the stylist arrived and there was no doubt that Myung was inside with his darling Elizabeth. 

 

When he opened his front door, nothing could prepare him for what scene played out in his living room.

 

* * *

 

Myung laid the paper down on the glass table and gave a dreamy glance out the window. The day had gone well and it was almost time for the stylist to arrive. She had about twenty minutes and Elizabeth was taking a cat nap. She had let her listen to some music, played with her, fed her, brushed her fur, and changed her collar as instructed. 

 

The skyline was stormy grey today and rain fell peacefully. It was beautiful and Myung always stole as many looks out that window as she could while she was watching Elizabeth.

 

She had grown fond of the cat and grew excited when she would leave work to come here. It was like a small break. The only time she had seen Jumin here was the first day and she was almost convinced that he didn't live here. The place was always spotless and looked unused by the time she got there at noon. Did he have a maid too?

 

Nonetheless, it was always quiet and peaceful so Myung decided to do something different today. She carefully placed a bottle of ink and a canister of water of the table along with some brushes. 

 

While Elizabeth slept, she was going to try ink painting. 

 

She chose the glass table over white tile as the perfect place to paint. If the ink spilled, it would be easily cleaned up with no trace that it. She didn't really question if Jumin would care, but she assumed that it would be no issue so long as she didn't leave a mess.

 

She began to sketch out what she wanted for guidelines, a nice portrait of some random person. She mixed the ink with the water to get various degrees of lightness and she began her general wash. She got very absorbed into the painting and the way that the ink spread nicely over the wet wash. 

 

Too absorbed. 

 

She didn't have time to react to the white blur that skidded over the tabletop completely wiping out all of her inks and water. Black ink was airborne and tiny droplets coated the table, the painting, and Myung with it. She was speechless but at least it didn't mess up anything more. She cast a glance to where the white blur had landed on the tile. There wasn't a spot on her…

 

Until the tipped over waterfall of ink drizzled off the table and onto her white fur.

 

Soaking the cat in permanent black ink. 

 

Myung screamed. 

 

This can't be happening! Had fate forsaken her? This is where she dies. 

 

The cat began to run in the confusion of the sudden wet sensation in her fur. Luckily for Myung, the cat ran into the bathroom and not on any sort of fabric. She would be totally fucked if Elizabeth rolled on the white sofa. Myung grabbed the ink bottle and with the napkin she had began to quickly soak up the ink. She'd have to worry about the table later. She dashed into the kitchen to grab a handful of paper towels, ignoring that she may have yanked out too much in her panic. 

 

She bent over and began to wipe up as many small footprints as she could in her haste. Opening the bathroom door, the cat looked up at her wide eyed and looked as if she was planning to run out of the bathroom. The same white tile was found in the bathroom and if she had the time for a leisurely pace, she would have marveled at the beautiful tilework on the walls and the claw footed porcelain bathtub, but this was not the time. 

 

She grabbed Elizabeth as gently and she could and soaked up what she could off her fur with the wad of paper towels. She managed to wipe her paws clean so that she at least wouldn't track more ink through the house. The cat seemed to have calmed down, but still didn’t seem the most pleased as Myung blotted her with the paper. 

 

The ink, although soaked up, still stained the white fur.

 

Her fears had been realized. She rushed to the bathroom sink and wet the paper towels in attempt to clean her with water. 

 

It didn’t work.

 

What was she going to do? She would definitely, without a doubt be fired once Jumin saw this. She began to google ways to get ink out of fabric, scrolling through several articles and skimming the content. According to what she had read, there were two options, rubbing alcohol or using hairspray as an alternative… but she didn't know if it would work on fur .

 

Being fired wouldn't be bad… but having the CEO of a multi billion dollar conglomerate ruin her name in anger would be extremely horrible. She would never be able to work anywhere else again. Hell, from the horror stories that she's heard about his employees, she may even be worse off… and that wasn't over his most prized possession. Jumin adored his cat and micromanaged every single thing having to do with his precious friend. She would be punished severely and Myung wouldn't blame him for absolutely desomating her career and possibly her life after this, but...

 

She didn't want to go to jail today. 

 

She grabbed Elizabeth and ran into the kitchen to try and find some rubbing alcohol after finding none in the bathroom cabinets. She had rummaged through but was sure to put things back in place as well as she could.

 

There was nothing in the kitchen and she was left with trying to find hairspray. She left Elizabeth in the kitchen and ran back into the bathroom. In no time, she found hairspray and she had hoped that the ink hadn't dried completely in her fur. 

 

When she returned, now out of breath and panicked beyond anything she had ever felt, she dropped to her knees in the middle of the living room beside the cat. 

 

“I'm sorry Elizabeth.” the brunette apologized before covering the cat’s eyes for protection. She struggled to keep the feline in place as she opened fire on her fur with hairspray. 

 

With a crumpled paper towel, she blotted the black stain and felt a twinge of relief as it seemed to be working. The paper towel began to soak up the ink that was seemingly melting off the white fur. She sprayed more hairspray onto the wiggling cat and almost threw it when she heard a low voice from over her. 

 

“What are you doing to my darling Elizabeth?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I would absolutely die if this happened to me. 
> 
> This is the perfect chance that Jumin has to fire her, just saying. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Gross Commercialism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin wonders why he can't decide on what to do with his emotions and decides to discuss marketing with Myung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy. Im not dead and neither is this fic.
> 
> I still want to write on this and get to the fluff. Also, I don't know if this is obvious, but this is gonna be super lighthearted with the plot. 
> 
> So yay, enjoy it!

There was no answer for a good thirty seconds and the girl in front of him closed her eyes and swallowed thickly. She didn’t release his cat like he thought she would, but knelt frozen in place. He held his arms folded over his chest and grew impatient with her period of silence. She lifted her head slowly and gave him an apologetic look. 

 

“I was uh… cleaning ink out of her fur… with hairspray… because the internet said so.” She hesitated each part of her sentence and gradually grew more quiet. She then gave a sheepish grin and placed the hairspray aside. “But in good news, the internet was right. It got the ink out… but she's very sticky. You do want me to give her a bath?” the girl offered, not really waiting for an answer. 

 

She lifted his shooken cat and rushed towards the bathtub. He was going to call her back, but she was gone before he could. He took this chance to take a good look at the mess that was spread across his kitchen and strewn down the hallway.

 

There were black smudges on the white tile floor where an attempt to wipe it up had failed. On the glass table lied a near empty ink bottle and a ruined piece of paper that was half covered in silky black. Brushes laid at angles next to the paper and seemed to have escaped the mess of ink as they were clean except for dried white paint on one flat brush handle. Paper towels had been thrown half hardly onto the table top and one was next to the garbage can. The black smudges trailed all the way down the hall and into the bathroom where the sound of the bathtub faucet squeaking caught his ears.

 

As much as he wanted to be mad and frustrated at the unfortunate situation, he lacked the emotion. It would take some time from him to call his cleaning staff to take care of the mess, and the appointment for Elizabeth the III may be pushed back, but he found that it wasn't a big deal to him. 

 

The woman in the bathroom has frustrated him for days with no explanation, leaving him wondering why he was so curious about her. He wasn't angry at this blunder of hers when if anyone else were to to even think about doing this, they would be fired on spot. He didn't like this sudden fondness he had for her. He didn't like that he found the ink smears amusing or that when he saw he kneeling in front of his cat his first thought wasn't of Elizabeth. 

 

He was taken from his reasonable routine thoughts and methodology and he didn't like it one bit. 

 

He was going to fire her. He couldn't have someone who did this to him so close when he couldn't provide an explanation as to why he found himself drawn to her.

 

Besides, the only woman he should worry over is his beautiful Elizabeth.

 

He made his way to the bathroom door and pushed it open, glancing inside to watch the brunette bathe the cat. Elizabeth sat still under the shower head as Myung carefully washed the cat shampoo from her fur and any hairspray residue with it. She gave Elizabeth soft comforting words as she did this, soothing the cat despite her obvious hatred of the bath. Elizabeth has only ever, by his observation, stayed so well behaved in a bath is he were the one bathing her. With all of his other employees and stylist for her, she had never been this calm. He felt a twinge of jealousy at the fact that his precious cat had taken a liking to someone else so quickly. 

 

Jumin pushed his way inside and grabbed a towel for her, opening the bathroom closet. A fluffy white towel would be the most suitable for his kitty. He laid the soft fabric by Myunh was finishing up the bath. She glanced over at him and gave a defeated sigh. He hadn't said anything this whole time but rather decided to observed her. 

 

She carefully lifted Elizabeth from the bathtub looked quite worried as she patted the towel over the thankful kitty. She kept giving him these apologetic glances before biting her lip and looking back at her work of drying the fur. 

 

After Elizabeth was plenty dry, Myung stood and Jumin decided to take the cat into his arms while he motioned for the brunette to leave the bathroom. He watched as she avoided looking at him, her own guilt clouding her face. She rushed into the living room ahead of him and grabbed her purse. She grabbed her usual check and shoved it at him. He awkwardly stared at it and reached out, trying to balance Elizabeth in one arm. She mewed and jumped from his grasp.

 

Had he written the check wrong?

 

He examined it and it looked completely accurate to the previous ones he had given out. He looked up to see her stuffing her stuff into her bag, her worried expression still on her face. When she had everything together and he determined that she was leaving, she turned to him with her bag on her arm and gave him another apologetic look. 

 

“It was a pleasure to work for you Mr. Han. Thank you for your patience with this disaster. You can send the cleaning bill to me later, then.” she stated, not allowing him to say anything as she quickly marched towards the door. 

 

What? Did she think he had fired her? She wasn't going to be fired until he said so, didn't she know this? If she did this to some other business, she may ruin her chances of redeeming herself in the job and missing an opportunity for herself. He can't let her just leave and ruin her name like that. He had to tell her that wasn't sound professional practice.

 

“Mrs. Cha, if you would please not leave just yet. I would like to have a word with you before you leave.” he spoke aloud, watching as she flinched and spun around on her heel, her eyes squinted shut as if she were preparing for the worst to come. 

 

What was he doing? She could have just walked away and his issue would be gone. She could have eased his mind and left, leaving him to regain focus on his work. 

 

“Yes, Mr. Han?” she spoke, her voice lilted in a cautious way. He wasn't going to yell at her or do anything unprofessional, so why was she worried?

 

“I did not say you could leave yet. I told you to stay until the stylist got here and I think it is in your best interest to say. There may be a misconception about today’s…” he gave a look at the smudged ink on the tile, “...mishap.”

 

She knit her brows together in confusion and she relaxed her grip on her bag. 

 

“Misconception? I'm fired, aren't I?” she asked as if she were asking about a set fact. 

 

“You're not fired. Just make sure that you don’t make too many of these kinds of mistakes again. I always try to be kind to my employees and allow for some mistakes.” he stated and she gave him a disbelieving look. He reached out and offered her check. She reluctantly took a step forward and grabbed it. When she did, he held the check for a moment to glance at her wrist. As he might have expected, her countdown was gone. It was nowhere to be seen amongst the ink that still sat dried on her skin.

 

“Why am I not fired? I would have fired myself if I were my own employee.” she half joked as her chocolate eyes caught sight of Elizabeth, who padded up to rub against her leg. 

 

“Besides my intention to give every employee I have second chances, my Elizabeth seems to have taken a liking to you, so I've decided to turn my eyes away from this.” He turned towards the kitchen and headed for the countertop. 

 

“Please take a seat. Would you like a glass of water?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder. To watch her reluctantly take a seat at the table, which still had a few smudges of ink here and there.

 

Why couldn't he have just fired her? It was true that he tried to give his employees leeway, but none of them had done anything like this.  She came in here, made a mess everywhere, tormented his cat by spraying her with hairspray, loving gave her a bath, and then tries to run out as if she could escape any sort of confrontation. So why was he being non confrontational about this? He wasn't the kind of person to be indecisive. He was dead set on firing her only minutes ago, but now he was brushing off what she had done?

 

Like he thought before, he was just frazzled with his father’s divorce. That's all. This complexity will pass in time, he told himself. He grabbed a glass for her water and pulled a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water although she hadn't said or not if she had wanted any.

 

He set the glass of the table with a tink and took a seat as well. She was busy looking out the window and in some kind of deep thought, so she didn't reacted much to his presence at the table. He decided to interrupt her thoughts with a question that he didn't have any business asking, but his curiosity got the better of him.

 

“Mrs. Cha, I noticed that your countdown is gone. Just to get to know you better, would you tell me your experience.” he asked, wondering if he had crossed the line in asking. Some people get very private about their Due dates much like himself, others may be very proud of it. 

 

He found that in negotiations, exploiting someone's pride of their Due date was often effective in getting them to open up more. However, he had learned that research was always best to have under his belt before he asked anything. This was not the case for her. 

 

“I know I've already said this, but you can just call me Myung if it's more comfortable. And about my Due date, what do you want to know exactly, Mr. Han?” she asked, having paled a bit at the question. She gave him a nervous smile. 

 

“Jumin. If you want, you can call me just Jumin.” he offered, “I'm not asking about anything in particular, but if you find it easier to answer a more specific question, then I'll first ask if it was a good experience.” he asked and a smile tugged at her lips, having forgotten her discomfort with the thick atmosphere which was melted away as they spoke.

 

“Okay,  _ Just Jumin,  _ that's an oddly specific question you're asking… but honestly, since it happened not long ago, I'm not sure what to think about it. It wasn't bad at all...but it wasn't as glamorous as it is made out to be.” she admitted, leaning her head on her palm, her elbow propped on the table. Her casual attitude was beginning to show again.

 

Just Jumin? It was amusing and he found himself smiling at her spark of personality. It was refreshing when someone joked with him and failed to care what he thought. 

 

“That's the problem with the countdowns. They are grossly romanticized for the sake of commercialisation and are used to exploit people’s insecurities and fears around them as well as their hope.” he began, and the topic instead of rendering her silent, sparked her own point.

 

“Yes, exactly! I can't tell you how many times I have had to make advertisements surroundings “Fatal Due Date Insurance” or seen silly ads about predicting the due dates. It's insane how much it is marketed at, but really, it's inescapable because it will always be here. It's the same with Valentine's day, just making people feel like they  _ should  _ bother with it instead of it being a something to enjoy. No, now it's something to worry over just like Valentine's Day. If business would just market the effectiveness of their products instead of using due dates at a crutch, things would be much less damaging to societal standards that are placed for commercial exploitation.” she paused and fell silent, realizing that she had got a bit passionate about her spill. 

 

So refreshing. She actually understands this enough to get caught up in it passionately? She must be a wonderful designer. He was taken aback by her point of view. It was true that C&R sometimes relied on the commercialism of countdowns for some projects, but he prefered the cat projects he proposed better personally. The performance was always better anyways. 

 

“I'm glad you think so too. It's a complicated issue because of our capitalist system benefits from exploiting things like this so well. However, quality will always win over marketing techniques, don't you think?” he asked, curious as to what her standpoint was. She shook her head. 

 

“Hmm, I understand where you're coming from, but marketing has a huge impact on the way consumers decide to spend their money. Like with the hype for new technology, the quality in most cases is only slightly better. That doesn't stop people from lining up in front of phone stores to buy the newest phone. That's because the marketing was good, ya know?” she gushed and took a sip of the water, satisfied with her words. She set her glass with a dull click on the table.

 

“What about you? Have you had your due date yet? I would look at your wrist, but most celebrities cover them up. I’ve heard you do for sure.” she asked. He hadn't really accounted for her asking him. What was he supposed to say? That his due date was the same day that she saved him. He decided to keep it as private as he ever has.

 

“You shouldn't believe what you hear from the news. I shouldn't talk too much about it, as I view these things as personal matters, but I can say that it wasn't a disappointment.” he said, glancing at Elizabeth who was laid on the couch. 

 

“Well that's nice. About mine, you should know… nah, nevermind. It just wasn't as glamorous because I think I expected it to be about me.” she said, her voice hinted at something he couldn't decipher. She was about to say something but she had changed her mind so abruptly as if she were keeping something from him.

 

“Not about you? It's supposed to be the most important turning moment of your life. How could it not be about you?” he questioned, hoping he wasn't prying too much. 

 

“Ah, well it happened when I helped someone else. The “big moment” was just helping someone else. I'm not complaining because I'm glad that I helped that person, but it makes me wonder if that person was the important thing or just me helping the person if that makes sense.” she paused to take another sip, “So I wonder if it meant that the most important thing I can do is just help other people and not myself. I’ll figure it out, so don't worry about it.” her tone changed when she said this as if she had already determined that it was for the worst. 

 

“I understand. I won't ask you about it again.” he said finally after some thought. His phone buzzed alerting him to the fact that Elizabeth's stylist will be in at any minute.

 

“It was very nice talking to you. I mean that. Elizabeth's stylist is on his way, so you're free to go now.” he stated and she nodded. 

 

“Yeah, same. Thanks for giving me a second chance. I was afraid that you were going to be  _ really _ mad.” she said and slung her bag over her shoulder. 

 

“No need to thank me. Just be here tomorrow on time, okay?”

 

When she had left, he was left in a swirl of confusion as to where his emotions were taking his mind. He thought talking to her a bit would help him settle his uninvited craving to know about her, but it only made it worse. 

 

He was going to have a good stiff drink tonight, he decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could just tell them both...
> 
> "hEY, YOU TWO ARE FUCKING SOULMATES" 
> 
> But alas, I cannot.
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying it and please comment with any suggestions you may have! Thank you!


End file.
